This application is entitled to the benefit of and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-176759 filed on Jun. 12, 2001.
The present invention relates to a wiper apparatus for a motor vehicle, and particularly to a structure effectively applied to a frame-integrally-formed type wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle, in which a plurality of pivot holders are connected by a frame member.
The wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle mainly wipes out surfaces of windshield glass substances adhered to such as rain, mist, snow, dirt splashed by other motor vehicles, thereby ensuring a visibility of drivers.
The wiper apparatus mentioned above has a wiper blade that is directly in contact with the glass surface, and a wiper arm to which the wiper blade is mounted. The wiper arm is fixed to a wiper shaft, so that the wiper blade makes a swing movement on the windshield glass surface and thereby performs a wiping operation when the wiper shaft makes a swing movement.
The wiper shaft is rotatably supported to a pivot holder fixed to a vehicle body, and a drive lever is provided at one end thereof. The drive lever is connected to a crank arm fixed to an output shaft of a wiper motor, so that the wiper shaft makes a swing movement when the wiper motor operates. Further, in the case of driving two wiper arms by one wiper motor, drive levers of respective wiper shafts are connected to each other by an interlocking member such as a linking rod or the like, and so each of the wiper shafts is interlocked.
In the wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle, which has two wiper arms, a pair of pivot holders are provided. However, in this case, there is a structure of a so-called frame-integrally-formed type in which these pivot holders are fixed to both ends of a pipe-shaped (cylindrical) frame.
In the frame-integrally-formed type wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle as mentioned above, the wiper motor is fixed onto the frame. For example, in the case of the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-278219, with using two brackets, a frame supporting portion integrally provided in the wiper motor and a wiper frame cover which forms a pair together with the frame supporting portion, the wiper motor is fixed by bolts, nuts, and the like in a state of putting the frame between the brackets. Further, in the case of the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-38117, a bearing surface having a reverse C shaped sectional shape is formed in a part of a pipe-shaped frame by a press process (operation), and the wiper motor is directly fixed in the bearing surface by bolts, and nuts, and the like.
Respective pivot holders and a wiper motor are respectively fixed to a pipe-shaped frame by different fastening means in any cases. Further, brackets for fixing the wiper motor is required, or, even in the case where the brackets are not used, a press process is required, so that manufacturing costs of a wiper apparatus for a motor vehicle and weight thereof are increased.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the manufacturing costs and the weight of the wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle.
The wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle according to the present invention, comprising a first pivot holder rotatably supporting a first wiper shaft to which a first wiper arm is fixed; a second pivot holder rotatably supporting a second wiper shaft to which a second wiper arm is fixed; a frame member connecting said respective pivot holders to each other; and driving means fixed to said frame member for driving said respective wiper shafts, is characterized in that the wiper apparatus has a pivot-side bracket provided in one of said pivot holders, and a motor-side bracket provided in said driving means, and wherein said pivot-side bracket and said motor-side bracket are fixed to said frame member by the same fastening member in a state of putting said frame member therebetween.
The wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said pivot-side bracket, said motor-side bracket and said frame member each have at least one mounting hole, and said fastening member is fastened in the state of being inserted into each of said at least one mounting hole.
The wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said frame member is a pipe formed in a circle in section.
The wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said pivot-side bracket has a pivot-side supporting surface which is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of said frame member in a predetermined range, and wherein said motor-side bracket has a motor-side supporting surface which is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of said frame member in the predetermined range.
According to the present invention, the pivot-side bracket is provided in one of the pivot holders, and the motor-side bracket is provided in the driving means, and the pivot-side bracket and the motor-side bracket are fixed to the frame member by the same fastening member. Therefore, one of the pivot holders and the driving means can be simultaneously fixed to each other, and the manufacturing costs and the weight of the wiper apparatus for the motor vehicle can be reduced.